cellulose

As the mold digests the proteins and starch within the fibrous pulp, it also breaks down the cellulose, turning what remains into a dish beloved by many across western Indonesia.

"Snails eat paper because most contains cellulose from the wood pulp which they can digest and use for energy, and they also get calcium from paper and that's what they need to build their shells," he said.

Wood is a miraculous substance: flexible and tough, its stringy but nutritious cellulose can make a great meal -- but only for those living things that can digest it and also get through the layer of lignin, a tough, armor-like substance that surrounds the cellulose like "wrap rage"-inducing packaging around your favorite treat.

The process involves blending three main components -- carbon nanotubes, polyvinyl alcohol and carboxymethyl cellulose -- followed by freeze-drying.

However, the two types of teabags made from a combination of cellulose and PLA broke down into smaller pieces, losing between 60% and 80% of their overall mass and with the PLA component remaining.